Healthy Eating withMore Fibre

Lesson Plan

A discussion on the sources and types of fibre and the health benefits of fibre will help participants get the most from this mini-lesson and the learning activities.

To help you lead this discussion, use the Healthy Eating with More Fibre PowerPoint presentation and speaker notes. You may need to present this information in a format suitable for the group situation.You might copy the key information onto flip chart paper or make overhead projector transparencies. You might also choose to distribute handouts of the presentation slides.

Begin this lesson by reviewing Canada's Food Guide. Distribute a copy of the Food Guide to each person.

Ask the group to point out the foods shown in Canada's Food Guide that are good sources of fibre vegetables and fruit, whole grain products, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Highlight the key messages that focus on fibre:

Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice.

Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day.

Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often.

Use the information on each PowerPoint slide to guide your discussion on fibre. The following discussion points for the leader may also help.

Healthy Eating with More Fibre Meal-Planning Activity

Ask participants to work in small groups. Distribute the Fibre Scoreboard for Adults handout. Explain that the Fibre Scoreboard lists the fibre content of various foods. Demonstrate how to use it by asking the group to look up the amount of fibre in ½ cup (125 mL) of raspberries (4 grams).

Point out the foods with the most fibre (e.g. vegetables and fruit, whole grain foods, legumes and nuts and seeds.). Also point out that some foods have very little or no fibre (e.g. milk and milk products, fats (oils) and sugars, meats).

Explain that you want each small group to plan a high-fibre meal, either breakfast, lunch or supper, using the Fibre Scoreboard.

Hand out the Healthy Eating with More Fibre Worksheets (Breakfast, Lunch, Supper) - one meal to each group. Allow about 5 to 10 minutes for groups to plan a meal.

Have one member of each small group report to the whole group about the meal they have planned and the number of grams of fibre the meal contains.

Ask participants if they are able to identify sources of soluble and insoluble fibre in their meals.

Wrap-Up

Encourage participants to make higher fibre choices at their next meal.

Suggest additional resources related to this session.

Distribute an evaluation for each person to complete. The feedback you get will be useful in planning future sessions. Evaluation forms are available on the Healthy Eating Manual website.